HATBORO, PA – A prolonged disagreement over loud snoring between two Pennsylvania neighbors ended in tragedy last Sunday. Christopher James Casey, 55, is under arrest for allegedly fatally stabbing his neighbor, Robert Wallace, 62. Montgomery County authorities charged Casey with the crime on Thursday.
Investigators noted that whilst dining at his Hatboro home, Casey was approached by his neighbor. Wallace allegedly removed a screen from a window in Casey’s home and instigated a verbal altercation. Things escalated when Casey reportedly stabbed Wallace in his chest with a large, military-style knife.
Interestingly, during a police interview, Casey claimed that Wallace hadn’t posed a threat to him at the time he stabbed him in the doorway. He further elaborated that over the past 18 months, they’d had discernible “personal issues,” mainly over his loud snoring. The dispute had led to numerous phone calls to the police.
Wallace seemed to have calmed down after roughly 20 minutes of arguing through the window. Wallace offered to shake hands and proposed to help finance a nasal surgery to resolve Casey’s snoring issue, according to police records. Unconvinced by Wallace’s peaceful resolution, Casey stated that he chose to ‘surprise him’ by attacking him with a knife.
Officers responding to Casey’s 911 call found Wallace lying severely wounded about 50 feet from his home. He later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Casey was also hospitalized for a self-inflicted stab wound to his thigh, believed to be accidental. Police found blood both inside and outside the home and the window screen in the front yard.
Casey now faces charges of third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, as well as possession of instruments of a crime. Unable to meet the set bail of $1 million, he remains in custody. His legal representation remains unknown at this time as no attorney is listed for him in court records, nor have prosecutors and police provided any related information.